Woman's Institute Library of Cookery. Volume 5: Fruit and Fruit Desserts; Canning and Drying; Jelly Making, Preserving and Pickling; Confections; Beverages; the Planning of Meals

by Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences

HISTORY AND PRODUCTION OF TEA

42. TEA consists of the prepared leaves or leaf buds of a plant known as the tea plant and is used as one of the three stimulating beverages. This plant is grown in China, Japan, India, Ceylon, and the East Indies, and to a small extent in South Carolina. There are two distinct varieties of tea, and each one may be used for the preparation of either green or black tea. The leaves of the tea plant, which are what is used for making the beverage, are gathered four times a year from the time the plants are 4 years old until they are 10 or 12 years old. Then the plants are pulled up and new ones planted. Upon being gathered, the leaves are put through a series of processes before they are ready for use. During this treatment, various modifications of flavor are developed and the leaves are changed in color to black or green, depending on the process used.

43. It is surprising to most persons to learn that tea was known in China for many years before people began to make a beverage of it. The first record of its use as a beverage was probably in the 6th century, when an infusion of tea leaves was given to a ruler of the Chinese Empire to cure a headache. A century later, tea had come into common use as a beverage in that country. As civilization advanced and new countries were formed, tea was introduced as a beverage, and today there is scarcely a locality in which it is not commonly used.

44. CLASSIFICATION OF TEA AS TO QUALITY.--The position of the leaf on the tea plant determines the quality of the tea. The farther from the top, the coarser are the leaves and the poorer is the quality. On the other hand, the smaller the leaves and the nearer the top, the better is the quality. In the very best qualities of tea, the buds of the plant are included with the tiny top leaves.

45. Tea that is raised in China is graded in a particular way, and it will be well to understand this grading. The top buds are used entirely for a variety known as flowery pekoe, but this is seldom found in our markets. The youngest leaves next to the buds are made into a tea called orange pekoe; the next older leaves are used for pekoe; the third, for souchong first; the fourth, for souchong second; the fifth, for congou; and if there is another leaf, it is made into a tea known as bohea. Sometimes the first three leaves are mixed, and when this is done the tea is called pekoe. If they are mixed with the next two, the tea is called souchong pekoe. The laws controlling the importation of tea require that each shipment be tested before it passes the custom house, to determine whether or not it contains what the label claims for it.

46. VARIETIES OF TEA.--The teas that are put on the market are of two general varieties, black tea and green tea. Any quality of tea or tea raised in any country may be made into these two kinds, for, as has been mentioned, it is the method of preparation that is accountable for the difference. A number of the common brands of tea are blends or mixtures of green and black tea. These, which are often called mixed teas, are preferred by many persons to the pure tea of either kind.

47. BLACK TEA is made by fermenting the tea leaves before they are dried. This fermentation turns them black and produces a marked change in their flavor. The process of preparation also renders some of the tannin insoluble; that is, not so much of it can be dissolved when the beverage is made. Some well-known brands of black tea are China congou, or English breakfast, Formosa, oolong, and the various pekoes. The English are especially fond of black tea, and the people of the United States have followed their custom to the extent that it has become a favorite in this country.

48. GREEN TEA is made by steaming the leaves and then drying them, a process that retains the green color. With tea of this kind, all fermentation of the leaves is carefully avoided. Some familiar kinds of green tea are hyson, Japan, and gunpowder. The best of these are the ones that come from Japan.